Ways of forming imperatives

There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.

Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:

Second Person Affirmation

(1)
Shíká ’anilyeed.
1-for 2-run.I
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.)

Second Person Negation

Optative

(2)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’.
cat out-3-2-take.Opt
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]]

Optative + lágo

(3)
Mósí ch’óółt’e’ lágo.
cat out-3-2-carry.O hope.not
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out.

t’áadoo V-

(4)
T’áadoo ’anit’íní!
neg 2-do.NI-Í
Don’t do that!

Fourth Person Affirmative

(5)
Hatáaldi jigháahgo hozhdísin łeh.
ceremony-at 4-go.I-GO 4-respect.NI usually
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony.

Fourth Person Negation

(6)
Doo ’ájíníi da!
neg 4-say.NI -neg
One doesn’t say that!

The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.

In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.

Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].

An example search has returned 50 entries

’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ ’íítseedgo bee na’anishí hasht’enáshdlééh.

yesterday 1-pound.P-GO tool 3-1-put.back.I

’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó dichin shi’niiłhį́.

morning-past NEG 1-eat.P-NEG.GO because soon hunger 1-3-kill.P

’Áłahji’ tó dilchxoshí síníł’ą́ą dooleeł.

always water popping-Í 3-2-keep.SPN will.be.F
listenloadingplaying

Keep a soda at all times.

bik’ídazhdidoodis

pl-3DO-4dpl-wrap.it.around.it.F

bik’ídédiz

3DO-1-wrap.it.around.it.P

bik’ídínídiz

3DO-2-wrap.it.around.it.P

bik’ídóhdis

3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

Bįįh b da’doółdǫǫh.

deer 3-with pl-2dpl-shoot.O

Ch’ééh jiyáán hastiin baa nahashniihgo ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd ’ahbínídą́ą́’.

watermelon man 3-from 3-1-buy.CI-GO tried in.vain 1-act.P morning-past

Chidí léi’ la’ ch’ééh dah diilyeed.

car because surprise in.vain up 3-go.I

Dah nóóljííd lágo.

up 2-jump.O don’t

dajoodlą́ą́’

pl-3DO-4dpl-drink.it.P

daohshóóh

pl-3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.I

daooshóó’

pl-3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.P

deiidlą́ą́’

pl-3DO-1dpl-drink.it.P

Dibé ła’ yóó’ ’íínilgo k’adę́ę ’e’e’aahgo ch’ééh naanááshwoł.

sheep some away 3-1-lose.P-GO almost evening in.vain 3-after 1-run.around.P

didadołjeeh

pl-3DO-2dpl-start.fire.I

dideidiłjeeh

pl-3DO-3dpl-start.fire.I

didínííłkał

3DO-2-start.to.herd.them.(animals).F

Doo dibé ch’íi’niił da.

NEG sheep pl-3-2-du-take.out.I NEG
listenloadingplaying

We (us two) are not taking out the sheep.

Ha’át’íí neidiyoołnih nínízin?

who 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NI

Haa’íyee’ shimáyázhí daats’í ałtso ch’iyáán ’áyiilaa.

lets.see my-maternal.aunt finished food 3-3-making.P

Hada’niłhosh le’!

up-pl-3-3-bubble.up.CI LE’
listenloadingplaying

Let water bubble forth!

hadadiiltééł

pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hadazhdoołtééł

pl-3DO-4dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hadínííłchał

3DO-2-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

jitł’ó

3DO-4-weave.it.I

K’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.

now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.I

Na’nízhoozhígóó chídí doo n dah didoolwoł da.

Gallup-to car NEG 2-with up start-3.drive.F NEG

nidasoolá

pl-3DO-2dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.P

nideidooleeł

pl-3DO-3dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.F

nishóóh

3DO-2-brush/comb.it.I

Níwe, bíni’dii ’ałwosh!

stop 3-let 3-sleep.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, let it sleep!

Níwe, k’ídíítih!

stop 3-2-break.SSO.I
listenloadingplaying

Stop, you're going to break it!

Níwe, tʼáádoo ʼabeʼ tʼóó bee naninéʼhí. Hazhóʼó nidlą́.

stop NEG milk just 3-with 2-play.R-NEG properly 3-2-drink.I

Shiyáázh bighandi níyáá nít’ę́ę́’ t’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ’eelnish lá.

1-poss-little 3-home-at 1-go.P past just then 3-off.to.work.P DISC
listenloadingplaying

I went to my son’s house but he had already gone off to work.

Shį́įgo ch’ééh jiyáán yishį́į́h ’áádóó tó lą’í yishdlį́į́h.

summer-GO watermelon 3-1-eat.U and.then water lots 3-1-drink.U

T’áadoo hoshíníkéhé.

T’ÁADOO 2-scold.NI-Í
listenloadingplaying

Don’t scold. (Don’t yell.)

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh lágo.

neg 2-oversleep.O LÁGO

T’áá ká ’adinoólgháásh.

neg 2-oversleep.O

Tó dílchxoshí sits’ą́ą́’ wóódlą́ą́lágo.

soda 1-from 3-1-drink.O don’t
listenloadingplaying

I hope you don’t drink my soda.

Tsé’áándę́ę́’ dóó tsédáajį’ ninish’na’.

cave-from and cliff-to 1-crawl.P

yididoołhįh

3DO-3-melt.it.F

yiishjį́į́’

Perfective Mode: 1-become.black.P

Yishdlosh le’.

peg-1-trot.Prog LE’

listenloadingplayingSpeaker: Irene SilentmanlistenloadingplayingSpeaker: Conan Gene

I wish to trot (in water).

Yiską́ągo díí doo ’íídííłtah da. (K’ad tsxíiłgo ’ííníłta’.)

tomorrow this NEG 3-2-read.F NEG (now quickly 3-2-read.I)

yiyííyą́ą́’

3DO-3-eat.it.P

Yootóodi níyáago shik’éí daostse’ laanaa nisin.

Santa.Fe-at 1-arrive.P-GO 1-relatives 3-1-see.O wish 1-want.CI

yíyą́ą́’

3DO-1-eat.it.P